A standard backhoe normally comprises a dipper stick pivotally mounted for vertical movements on a boom, rotatably mounted for horizontal swinging movements on a rearward end of the backhoe. A bucket is pivotally mounted on a lower end of the dipper stick to provide a work tool for performing a number of operations which are difficult to perform with other types of earthworking machines. The backhoe is particularly useful for work in close quarters wherein the bucket may be moved alongside the backhoe for trenching purposes, for example. The articulated front and rear frames are normally interconnected by a pair of vertically spaced pivot pins.